Air defense units in Moscow Region put on full alert in combat readiness drills

The snap check is part of the Combat Commonwealth-2015 exercises of the CIS air defense formations

MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. Air defense and anti-missile defense units of the Moscow Region have been placed on full alert as part of the Combat Commonwealth-2015 exercises of the CIS air defense formations, spokesman for Russia’s Air and Space Force, Col. Andrei Zolotukhin said on Tuesday.

"The Combat Commonwealth-2015 joint exercises of the CIS united air defense system has started with the placement of the Air and Space Force’s air defense and anti-missile defense units and formations located in the Moscow Region on full alert," Zolotukhin said,.

About 20 military units of the armed forces of the countries integrated into the CIS united air defense system were alerted in the first day of the maneuvers," the spokesman said.

"The first stage of the exercises will end with the relocation of the personnel and the combat hardware from the countries involved in the drills to the Ashuluk shooting range in the Astrakhan Region where the active phase of the Combat Commonwealth-2015 exercises will be held," the spokesman said.

The exercises will be held in three stages and last until September 11. Apart from Russian military units, the exercises will involve troops from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia. Other participants in the united air defense system will act as observers during the military exercises.

Overall, the Combat Commonwealth-2015 exercises involve over 1,000 troops and more than 200 pieces of combat and special hardware of the Air and Space Force.